Method and apparatus for shaping the lashes of a doll&#39;s eye



F. F. DE LISE Oct. 27, 1964 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING THE LASHES OF A DOLL'S EYE Filed Aug. 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

BY FRANK D LJJE United States Patent 3,154,620 ME'IHQD AND APPARATUS FOR SHAPING THE LASI-EES OF A DOLLS EYE Frank F. De Lise, South Beach, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Jacoby-Bender, Inc., Woodside, N.Y., a

corporation of New York Filed Aug. 7, 1962, Ser. No. 215,322 8 Claims. (Cl. 264-339) This invention relates to a dolls eye with a shaped multiple strand lash and to a process and apparatus for making the same.

In general my invention pertains to a lashed dolls eye and specifically is concerned with the shaping of a previously inserted lash. By a lashed dolls eye I refer to a dolls eye having an artificial lash which is fabricated from a great number of pliable resilient slender strands that are anchored at one end to the eyeball.

Typical lashed dolls eyes are made in various fashions. For example one very popular type of basic lashed dolls eye has the construction thereof illustrated and described in Grubman Patent No. 1,569,480 dated January 12, 1926 and Grubman Patent No. 1,782,818 dated November 25, 1930, a modification thereof being disclosed in the patent application of Harry Brudney for Lashed Dolls Eye filed April 23, 1962, Serial No. 189,338, assigned to the present assignee. In general such a lashed dolls eye constitutes a hollow eyeball which preferably is made of an inherently resilient material, eg a synthetic plastic, and which is provided with a preformed slit into which a great number of doubled eyelash strands are forced so that the eyelash strands are anchored in the slit, preferably by the constrictive action of the slit and optionally by the further addition of cement or the like, e.g. an adhesive. Either one end or both ends of each doubled eyelash strand protrudes from the eyeball for the normal length of the lash. The Grubman patents shows equal protrusion of both ends of each strand and the Brudney application shows a major protrusion of only one end of each strand.

Another proposed construction for a basic lashed dolls eye is that in which eyelash strands are secured to an eyeball one at a time.

Still other proposed constructions are those in which the eyelash strands are banded in fiatstrips and inserted at the bands either by the Grubman doubling method, or by inserting the bands in slots without doubling.

It would seem desirable that in these constructions the strands should be arranged in an orderly manner with the individual strands substantially straight and parallel to one another. This, however, is subject to certain drawbacks chief among which is the ensuing rather unnatural appearance of the lash.

In a human eyelash only a sparse number of strands are present as distinguished from the profusion of strands in the usual commercial lashed dolls eye. Moreover in a human eyelash the strands are curled whereas in a lashed dolls eye the strands are usually straight. Furthermore in a human eyelash the strands are fanned out, that is to say they diverge from one another; on the contrary in a lashed dolls eye the strands usually are parallel to one another. Therefore a conventional lashed dolls eye has a somewhat mechanical appearance which at least in part arises from the symmetry (parallism) and straightness of the strands. Some efforts have been made to overcome this somewhat unnatural appearance by disturbing the symmetry and straightness of the strands but this only has resulted in a highly irregular disordering of the strands which renders them even less humanoid in appearance, that is to say, detracts from their naturalistic appearance rather than enhancing the same.

Another disadvantage of multiple strand lashes, and particularly of the Grubman type lashes although not of the Brudney type lashes, is that the lashes are unusually bushy, that is to say unusually thick, because of the great number of lash strands that must be employed in accordance with the Grubman method in order to prevent disarrangement of the lash strands as they are pushed into the preformed slit.

It is an object of my invention to provide a shaped multiple strand lashed dolls eye and process and appara tus for making the same which avoid the various disadvantages hereinabove referred to.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shaped multiple strand lashed dolls eye and process and apparatus for making the same in which the strands are realistically curled and fanned in a predictable and reproducable manner so that an excellent and highly saleable commercial product is obtained.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shaped multiple strand lashed dolls eye which is converted from a conventional lashed dolls eye in which the lash strands extended away from an eyeball in an approximately parallel manner and in which the lash strands were substantially straight prior to the shaping operation.

It is another object of my invention to provide a shaped multiple strand lashed dolls eye in which the strands have been inserted by the doubling method as for example by the Grubman or Brudney method and which strands subsequently are converted into a curled condition and a fanned out state.

It is another object of my invention to provide a dolls eye of the character described and a process and apparatus for making the same that effect the aforesaid conversion in a simple and inexpensive manner and at a high rate of production.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lashed dolls eye of the character described which can be made by machine with a high degree of uniformity.

Other objects of my invention in part will be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, arrangements of parts and series of steps which will be exemplified in the dolls eyes, process and apparatus hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which I have shown various possible embodiments of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, in opened position, of the operative components of an apparatus constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal sectional View through said apparatus the same being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1; 7

FIG. 3 is a reduced top view of said apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the operative components shown in FIG. 1 to wit the spreading and curl assisting jaw, said jaw being illustrated as it approaches its spreading position; the curling and curl-setting jaw is omitted from this figure for the purpose of clarity of illustration;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing both jaws and illustrating said jaws closed and in their mutually cooperating final, i.e. home or shaping, position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but showing the jaws in the position of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a highly enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a dolls eye in the vicinity of the lash and prior to the initiation of a shaping operation;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the spreading and curl assisting jaw in its spreading position;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the curling and curl-setting jaw in its closed non-shaping position; and

FIG. is a view similar to FIG. 9 but showing both of the jaws in their final, i.e. home, position;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 7 but showing the lash after curling;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view to a reduced scale of a dolls eye with a shaped lash embodying my invention;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the shaped lash near the bases of the lash strands;

FIG. 14 is a top view to a reduced scale of a shaped lash, the same being illustrative of the fanned-out relative position of the lash strands and the separation of the strands adjacent their bases; and

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 11 but showing a modified basic lash.

In general I carry out my invention by starting out with a dolls eyeball in which there have been implanted in any suitable fashion, a row (line) of pliable resilient slender lash strands which conjointly constitute a dolls eyelash. These strands usually will be rather close together or in contacting relationship. They will be approximately parallel to one another, the degree of crossing and a parallelism being a function of the method of manufacture employed and unless very bad no detriment to the parctice of my invention. Moreover, the individual strands will be straight or substantially so, that is to say they will be straight from their points of anchoring at the dolls eye to their free tips.

The method of implantation of the strands in the eyeball is not a critical feature of my present invention, it sufiicing that the strands simply project away from the eyeball in order that my invention may be practiced. Nevertheless I prefer that the strands be so set into the eyeball that the lashed dolls eye which serves as the starting point of my invention can be manufactured rapid ly, inexpensively and with a reasonable degree of regularity. I therefore prefer, merely because of its high speed, precision and economy, to use a method such as outlined in the aforesaid Grubman patents or the aforesaid Brudney application.

Essentially according to these methods a lashed dolls eye is made by feeding a flat strip constituting a great number of strands transversely over a preformed slit in a dolls eye that is fabricated from a material having some resilience. A thin dull blade pushes the strands into the slits doubling them as it does so that the doubled ends of the strands project away from the dolls eye. The ensuing lashed eye will have the doubled ends extending away from the eyeball in approximately parallel relationship, although with some degree of crossing, and the individual ends will be substantially straight. Pursuant to the Brudney modification of the Grubman patents one set of ends will terminate close to the eyeball and the other set of ends will project a substantial distance away from the eyeball to their trimmed tips. However this variation does not affect the operation of my invention. Alternatively, and as indicated previously, the lashed eye which serves as a starting point for the operation of my invention may have the lashes implanted therein by first banding the strands and then inserting them in accordance with the Grubman or Brudney methods or by first banding the strands and then inserting the banded ends into a slot in the eyeball without doubling the strands. My invention also may be practiced on adolls eye which has had the individual strands singly implanted therein as by hand.

Pursuant to my invention I spread (fan out) the strands of a lashed dolls eye of the character described and also curl the strands, that is to say flex the strands so as to impart a desired curved configuration. After the strands have been temporarily spread and curled such configuration is permanentized, i.e. set. To this end in the preferred and commercial form of my invention the lash strands are made of a thermoplastic synthetic resin and the permanentizing is achieved by heating the strands in their spread and curled configuration so as to relieve the,

stresses therein and then the lash strands are chilled to cause them to permanently maintain their new configuration.

Preferably, moreover, in accordance with an ancillary feature of my invention, the bases of the lash strands are segregated in subgroups which are spaced from one another along the lash and the lash strands are set in such segregated state. This segregation gives an appearance of sparseness to the lash because of the clear spaces now visible at intervals in the base of the lash. Moreover the segregation of the bases of the lash strands into separated subgroups tends to aid in increasing the resemblance of the curled and lashed eye to a human eyelash by starting the flaring (fanning) of the lash strands at a zone slightly spaced from the eyeball. Still further I believe that this subdividing of the bases of the lash strands into spaced subgroups tends to increase the ultimate regularity and uniformity of the finished product by eliminating any crossing of strands which may have survived the spreading of the lash strands.

Even more specifically in carrying out my invention I prefer to spread the strands first, that is to say before imparting the temporary curled configuration thereto, and only thereafter to carry out the temporary curling step and I believe that if this order of steps is reversed the spreading is not as effective and not as uniform.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 20 denotes a dolls eye having a shaped lash 22 embodying my present invention. The dolls eye includes an eyeball 24 which is of conventional construction except for the lash. For example the eyeball is in the form of a hemisphere fabricated from a synthetic plastic. Desirably the eyeball is, like prevalent present day commercial eyeballs, made by molding, cg. ejection molding. Typical materials employed for the eyeball are cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate and acrylic resins. The eyeball principally constitutes a hollow hemispherical shell and for convenience in mounting, providing that the eyeball is of a rotatable type, includes outwardly extending diametrically opposed registered trunnions 26. Likewise if the eyeball is rotatable it may include a rearwardly extending lower tail 28 about which a suitable weight (not here shown) such for instance as a strip of lead can be wrapped to cause the eye to swing to a certain angular position.

The eyeball includes a slit 30 in the upper half of the eyeball above the lens 32. The slit either may be straight across the eyeball as shown in the Grubman patents or, for a more pleasing appearance, it may be curved with its concave side facing the lens as is customary in a modern eyeball. The slit is formed by forcing a sharp thin cutting blade of the proper configuration into and through the eyeball and then withdrawing the same. Thereafter a flat strip of lash strands 34 is fed transversely across the slit and has an intermediate portion doubled and forced into the slit by a thin dull inserting blade of suitable configuration. The lash strands are cut from the strip and are trimmed so that each individual strand consists either of two ends of equal length protruding from the eyeball or, if the Brudney method is employed, of one long and one short end protruding from the eyeball.

The lash strands are fabricated from a thermoplastic synthetic resin which preferably is so constituted as to be flexible and resilient when in the form of a slender filament. By way of example, a suitable material is a polyamide resin (nylon) however I wish it to be understood that this particular material has been mentioned only as by way of example and is not to be construed as a limitation on my invention.

A typical eyeball will have one hundred and usually many more double lash strands projecting therefrom.

As initially inserted in accordance with the Grubman method, or even the Brudney method, the strands although all straight will not invariably all be exactly parallel. A few of the strands may cross others. I mention this only in passing so that it will be appreciated that my method now to be described is capable of handling lashed dolls eyes wherein the lashes before curling and spreading are not necessarily arranged in perfect order.

A lashed dolls eye prior to treatment in accordance with my invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 7. For simplicity of illustration I have nowhere in these figures illustrated any disorder in the lash strands, said lash having been illustrated with its strands perfectly straight and exactly parallel.

The reference numeral 36 denotes a shaping apparatus for carrying out my invention, that is to say for temporarily fiaring and curling the lash strands, as well as separating their bases into spaced sub-groups, and then setting the strands. Said apparatus includes two jaws 38, 40. The jaw 38 which sometimes herein is referred to as the spreading and curl assisting jaw and sometimes as the fiber jaw, has as its principal function the spreading out (fanning) or flaring of the strands of the eyelash and as a subordinate function, although equally important, the curling of the eyelash. This second function is subordinate only in a sense that the jaw 33 cannot perform curling by itself. The other jaw td performs curling in cooperation with the spreading jaw and also performs setting (permanentizing) of the curled and spread lash. The second jaw 4%) is sometimes referred to as the comb jaw due to a certain physical aspect thereof, to wit, the projection of comb-like teeth from its leading edge.

The fiber jaw is fabricated from a heat resistant thermally nonconductive nonferrous material and preferably of a material which can be provided with a smooth surface, that is to say a surface with a low coefiicient of friction. A suitable material for the spreading jaw is a synthetic plastic material having a high melting or deformation temperature. Preferably I employ a synthetic plastic of the thermosetting type, e.g. a phenol formaldehyde condensation resin. Moreover the material of the fiber jaw can be reinforced with a filling material. In the form of my invention illustrated herein the fiber jaw is made up of fibers for instance layers of cloth impregnated with a phenol formaldehyde condensation resin, the jaw having a proper shape imparted thereto as by molding to the desired configuration or by machining. It is because the heat resistant thermally noneonductive material of the jaw preferably constitutes impregnated fibers that said jaw is referred to as the fiber jaw. Moreover this description of the material of the fiber jaw differentiates it from the curling and setting jaw which to facilitate raising the temperature of the lash strands to be set is made from a ferrous material so that its temperature can rapidly be raised by induction heating.

The fiber jaw 38 is mounted for movement in the direction of the arrow A toward and away from the comb jaw 40. For example the fiber jaw is secured to a head 42 that is slidable on a track 44 to impart the proper direction of movement. The fiber jaw is actuated by means (not shown) which reciprocates in the direction of the arrow A and drives said jaw through the medium of a spring, e.g. a helical compression spring 46, so that relative movement is permitted between the actuating means and the fiber jaw 38. Phrased differently the fiber jaw 38 is spring loaded whereby to permit the fiber jaw to be pushed back towards its actuating means. The reason for this type of actuation soon will be apparent.

The operative end or face of the fiber jaw consists of a curved protruding (overhanging) lip 48 having a convex configuration facing the comb jaw 40. This lip has its maximum protrusion at the center of the jaw so that the ends of the lip are curved rearwardly away from the comb jaw. The ends of the lip terminate at forwardly extending fingers 51 on opposite sides of the fiber jaw. The breadth of the lip 48, that is to say the distance between the fingers 50, is greater than the breadth of the lash before spreading, said breadth of the lip being substantially equal to the maximum width of the spread lash 22 al though if desired the breadth of the lip may exceed that of the spread lash. The lip 48 is of comparatively slight vertical height although this is not of critical importance since the active portion of the lip is the lower corner 52 thereof. Immediately beneath and behind said lower corner the forward edge 54 of said lip is recessed so as to provide a vertical cross-section of forwardly concave configuration with its lower corner 56 appreciably set back as shown quite clearly in FIGS. 2 and 8-l0. The depth of this recess is such that in the final or home position of the two jaws which will be described hereinafter the curved lash strands will not touch this forward edge 54 and only will bear upon the lip 48 or more specifically the lower corner 52 of said lip. Moreover in the preferred form of my invention the lower corner 56 of the forward edge of the fiber jaw is so positioned that it will bear upon the lash strands in the spreading position of the fiber jaw which will hereinafter be described.

The apparatus 36 includes suitable means to hold a dolls eye in proper position for shaping. Said means constitutes a post 5% configured to match the shape of the rear surface of the eyeball including the tail 28. The post holds a dolls eye in such position that the lash strands 34 which are straight when the eyeball first is inserted in the apparatus extend in a generally vertical upwardly direction as shown in FIG. 2. At the time of insertion of the eyeball the lash strands extend upwardly between the fiber jaw and the comb jaw which then are spaced apart from one another and from the lash 22. Said lash extends transversely to the direction A of movement of the fiber jaw 38 and transversely to a line between the two jaws. To hold the lash in such position the post 58 includes notches 60 to receive the trunions in transverse position athwart the path of movement of the fiber jaw 38.

As indicated, the two jaws 38 and 40 initially are in a retracted idle position in which they fully expose the post 58 to enable a lashed dolls eye to be sited thereon. Then when the apparatus is set into operation the fiber jaw 38 moves toward the upstanding lash 22. The post 58 is at such a height that the upper portions (tips) of the lash strands lie in the path of travel of the lip 43 (see FIG. 2) and more particularly in the path of travel of the lower corner 52 of the forwardly convex edge of said lip. Thereby as the jaw 38- continues its forward movement it will strike the transverse line of lash strands. The action of the lip 48 at this time is to spread the strands apart progressively starting from the center and continuing outwardly. The action might be compared to the spreading which takes place when a paint brush is pressed against a fiat surface. When the edge of the lip encounters the tips of a transversely located row of flexible strands whose bases are anchored the strands tend to flare outwardly, i.e. to fan away from one another. In the most forward position of the fiber jaw 38 the strands preferably are spread apart in substantially the manner (actually slightly more) which it is desired to have the strands spread when set.

The initial engagement between the lip and the strands as a result of which spreading commences is illustrated in FIG. 4. The foremost position of the fiber jaw with relation to the strands is illustrated in FIG. 8. In this foremost position the endmost strands of the lash will have been fanned to such position that they are adjacent the fingers St). The spreading takes place initially by virtue of the engagement between the leading lip and the tips of the strands. However by the time that the fiber jaw reaches its foremost position the strands also will have been engaged by the lower corner 56 of the forward edge of the fiber jaw beneath the lip so that now both corners 52, 56 bear upon the strands. I believe the flexing and spreading action of the lower corner 56 is of some assistance in obtaining the desired fanning effect, however this may be dispensed with without seriously detracting from the efiicacy of my invention. I also wish to point out that the spreading action seems to impart uniformity to the spacing of the strands. Thus if the strands of a given eyeball were originally bunched, the spreading action substantially eliminates such bunching.

It will be appreciated that the degree of spreading is not great, e.g. about one-third, and is a function of the extent of forward movement of the fiber jaw. To enable this to be varied at will I have provided a longitudinal adjustment for said jaw consisting of a longitudinal slot 62 in the shank 64 of the fiber jaw and a bolt 65 that extends through the shank into a tapped bore in the head 42. This adjustment is employed to obtain the exact amount of spreading which is considered proper for any particular lash. In general the further the forward movement of the fiber jaw the greater will be the spreading and vice versa.

I also wish to observe that the degree of spreading can be varied by changing the angular position of the lash strands with the two jaws retracted, that is to say by altering the angle at which the lash strands are held by the post 58. Thus if it is desired to increase the spreading action the post may be so tilted as to cock the lash strands, i.e. incline the lash strands, toward the fiber jaw. It will be understood therefore that the post need not hold the dolls eye in such a position that the lash strands are exactly vertical. Said strands may be situated in any position in which the plane of the strands in general is transverse to the lip 48 and to the direction of movement A of the fiber jaw.

The comb jaw is similarly adjustably mounted on a head 68 which is supported for movement in the direction of the arrow B toward and away from the fiber jaw 38. The comb jaw is actuated toward and away from the fiber jaw by suitable reciprocating means (not shown). The timing of the actuation of the fiber jaw and the comb jaw is such that the fiber jaw reaches its foremost position in which it has spread the lash strands before the comb jaw touches the lash strands so that the spreading is completed before the onset of the temporary curling. This is considered desirable inasmuch as if the lashes were engaged simultaneously by both jaws it would be more difficult to spread the lash and the lash strands would not spread with the same degree of uniformity.

The forward edge of the comb jaw, that is to say the edge which faces the fiber jaw is forwardly concave in plan and matches the forwardly convex plan shape of the lip of the fiber jaw. The forward edge of the comb jaw consists of an upper nose 70, i.e., a portion of generally rounded vericlal cross-section. Said nose is forwardly convex in elevation (convex facing the fiber jaw). The nose is below (at a horizontal level lower than) the lip 48 so that it is horizontally registered with the forwardly concave edge or recess 54 of the fiber jaw. Thereby as soon will be seen when these jaws are in maximum proximity the nose will move beneath (under) the lip for the purpose of temponarily curling the lash strands.

At the lower corner of the forward edge of the comb jaw I provide a forwardly facing set of parallel comb teeth 72. These teeth extend away from the comb jaw in the direction of the arrows A and B which are parallel to one another, the teeth being spaced apart a distance approximately equal to their widths and there being a substantial number of teeth, for example, about fifteen or twenty. The teeth protrude forwardly beyond the nose and to facilitate the parting action of the comb teeth as they engage the lash strands the tips of the teeth taper forwardly in elevation (see FIGS. 9 and 10) and in plan (see FIG. 3).

After the fiber jaw has assumed its foremost position with respect to the eyeball and lash strands as shown in FIG. 8 the comb jaw is advanced toward the fiber jaw until the comb jaw reaches the position shown in FIG. 9. This position is defined by the abutment of fingers 74 on the comb jaw with the fingers 50 on the fiber jaw. Said fingers 74 are functionally integral with the comb jaw and project forwardly toward the fiber jaw in alignment with the fingers 50. The fingers 5t and 74 are so positioned and dimensioned that they will abut one another on opposite sides of the two jaws before the forward edges of the two jaws contact one another. That is to say the fingers prevent the operative confronting surfaces of the jaws from coming into physical contact and maintain a space between them. The maximum proximal position of the two jaws is shown in FIG. 9 and attention is called to the space 76 between said jaws in such position. At this time preferably the tips of the comb teeth have not yet contacted the lash strands, however, the nose may have pressed lightly against an intermediate portion of the lash strands between their free spread tips and their anchored bases. Such pressure is of no consequence at the moment of engagement and serves no useful function. It is mentioned only because when the two jaws are in their maximum proximal position the nose has slid under the lip 48 and may lightly touch the lash strands.

The forward motion of the comb jaw is, however, not halted when the fingers 74 contact the fingers 50 in the maximum spreading position of the fiber jaw; the comb jaw continues its forward movement. It continues its movement because its actuating means has not stopped and the movement is not prevented by abutment with the fiber jaw because the fiber jaw is yieldably mounted by virtue of the spring. 46. Therefore as the comb jaw continues forwardly (toward the lash) from the initial engagement position of the two jaws shown in FIG. 9, the fiber jaw will back up (move away from the lash) even though its actuating means may have halted or still be moving forwardly (toward the lash).

As the fiber jaw continues its movement from the intermediate (initial engagement) position of FIG. 9 to the final or home position of FIG. 10 the tips of the comb teeth will cross over the lash strands near their bases. It may be mentioned at this point that in the initial engagement position of the two jaws the tips of the comb teeth have not yet reached the bases of the lash strands as can be seen in FIG. 9 but the tips are near said strands so that upon slight further forward movement of the comb jaw the tips of the teeth will enter into the mass of lash striands adjacent their anchored bases.

As the comb jaw approaches its home (final) position the nose 70 bears with increasing pressure upon the intermediate portions of the lash strands (between tips and anchored bases) and forces these portions backwardly. As such forward motion of the comb jaw takes place the lip 48 moves retrogradely 'and the nose 70 progressively increasingly projects beyond an imaginary vertical line running from any point of the lip 48 to a corresponding point at the base of the lash. Thereby the nose progressively increasingly flexes the lash strands until finally in the home position (see FIG. 10) the nose will have flexed the lash strands temporarily to the desired extent between the two supported ends of the lash strands. One end of the lash strand is of course held captively in the slit 30 while the other end is supported by the lip 48.

As the comb jaw moves into its home position the comb teeth will segregate the bases of the lash strands into spaced sub-groups corresponding to the spaces between the comb teeth. This segregation is temporary since like the temporary curling of the lash strands any deformation of the lash strands in the cold is not permanent because of the resiliency of the material of which the strands are constituted.

Now with the strands temporarily spread by the action of the fiber jaw and with the strands temporarily curled by both jaws and their bases temporarily separated into sub-groups by the comb teeth, the temporarily shaped condition of the lash strands is made permanent by mildly heating the strands so as to relieve the stresses therein, that is to say by heating the strands to their deformation temperature or heat distortion point for an instant and then quickly chilling the strands so that they will retain the position in which they previously were only temporarily placed.

The heating and cooling of the lash strands is accomplished by heating and cooling the comb jaw 40 the nose 70 of which is shaped to engage the strands over a substantial portion of the distance between the tips and anchored bases of the strands and to conform to the desired curvature of these portions so that heating and cooling of the strands is carried out by a conductive flow of heat between the nose and said strand portions. Any suitable arrangement can be utilized for heating and cooling the jaw as for example embedding a resistance heater in the comb jaw for elevating the temperature and flowing a cool liquid through passageways in the jaw for chilling. By way of illustration I have shown the heating as being performed inductively and the chilling by conduction.

More particularly I provide an induction heating coil 78 which is located to be above and in the immediate vicinity of the steel comb jaw when the latter is in its home position shown in FIGS. 6 and 10. The details of induction heating are too conventional to be dwelt upon at length here and I mention only in passing that I have obtained satisfactory results where the induction coil consists of three 1" rectangular turns of /8 OD. copper tubing through which I pass a current having a frequency of 450 kilocycles. This will quickly raise the temperature of the comb jaw to the desired point. I cut off the inductive heating When the temperature of the comb jaw has reached approximately 300 F., the heat distortion point of the plastic employed being about 250 F to 275 F. By the time that heat has been transmitted by radiation and conduction from the forward edge of the comb jaw to the thermoplastic lash strands the temperature of the strands will be in the heat distortion range. However the heat is not maintained for a period sufficiently long to seriously deform the lash strands, just long enough to relieve the internal stresses arising from the flaring, flexing and sub-grouping of the strands thereby causing the strands to set permanently in their flared and flexed shapes .as well as the sub-groupings thereof at the comb teeth.

The comb jaw desirably is quickly cooled immediately after it is brought to the heat distortion range of the thermoplastic strands so as to prevent unwanted deformation, e.g. flattening of the strands, from taking place. The cooling is carried out as by means of a blast of cold air. More particularly the comb jaw is formed with a deep groove 8t) immediately in back of its forward edge, i.e. in back of its nose 70. A nozzle 82 is directed to the front edge of this groove in back of the nose and the nozzle is supplied by a tube 34 with a refrigerated gas, for example, air at a temperature of about 40 F. and at a pressure of about 30 p.s.i.a. The cold air impinging upon the back side of the nose will rapidly chill the comb jaw to a temperature below the heat distortion range of the plastic so that the plash'c strands are not harmed by their temporary exposure to a high temperature and merely will be set in their sub-grouped and endto-end flared and flexed condition.

Thereafter the two jaws are retracted and the eyeball is removed from the post.

To review the operation of the apparatus, first a straightlashed dolls eye is placed on the post. Then the fiber jaw is pressed against one side of the lash strands adjacent their free tips so as to bend the same from their anchored bases outwardly causing the lash strands to spread out, i.e. to flare. Then the comb jaw is advanced in an opposite direction toward the lash strands until it is close to but spaced from the fiber jaw and thereafter lid is continued to be advanced with a concommittant retraction of the fiber jaw so that the comb jaw will press against intermediate portions of the already spread lash strands on the side opposite to that engaged by the fiber jaw and so that the comb teeth will enter between the lash strands adjacent their bases. Next the comb jaw which is the jaw that contacts a substantial portion of the lengths of the strands is heated to the heat distortion range of the plastic and then chilled whereby to render permanent the flared flexed and sub-grouped condition of the lash strands.

I direct attention to the sub-grouping of the lash strands adjacent the bases as is most clearly shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. The spacing between adjacent subgroups is best shown in FIG. 13 while the overall effect of the spacing is better seen in FIG. 14. It will be obvious that due to this sub-grouping and the provision of spaces 36 there is an appearance of sparseness of the lash near the eyeball which has a strong likeness to human eyelashes. This is particularly desirable where the lash was implanted in the eyeball by the Grubman method because in such method the number of lash ends is increased two fold due to the doubling of the lash strands. However the resultant heavy or busy eifect is minimized by virtue of the spaces 86. Nevertheless I wish to make it clear that my method is also employed to advantage where the eyelash strands are not doubled, that is to say where a pair of long ends is not associated with each strand as, for instance in the Brudney method or in the banding method where the banded ends are not doubled. It is for this reason that in FIG. 15 I have shown a dolls eye 88 including lash strands implanted by the Brudney method so that one end extends to the full trimmed length and the other end terminates near the eyeball. These lash strands likewise have been curled by the method and apparatus of my present invention and in this case the provision of the spaces 86 even further reduces the full appearance of the eyelash.

It thus will be seen that I have provided shaped dolls eyelashes and a process and apparatus for making the same which achieve the several objects of my invention and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A method of shaping a dolls eyelash comprising a set of straight approximately parallel slender elongated pliable strands of a thermoplastic synthetic resin extending away from an eyeball and having one end secured therein, said method comprising leaving the end of the set of strands remote from the eyeball unsecured while pressing an element against the remote end portion of a side of the set of strands so as to spread and bow the strands, then with said remote end still unsecured press ing another element against an intermediate portion of the opposite side of the set of strands so as to further bow the strands, and then with said remote end remaining unsecured and with the strands subjected only to the end and intermediate pressures heating the strands to relieve the stresses therein and quickly thereafter chilling the strands so as to permanently set them in spread and bowed condition.

2. A method of shaping a dolls eyelash comprising a set of straight apprommately parallel slender elongated pliable strands of a thermoplastic synthetic resin extending away from an eyeball and having one end secured therein, said method comprising leaving the end of the set of strands remote from the eyeball unsecured while first pressing an element against the remote end portion H of a side of the set of strands so as to spread and bow the strands, then with said remote end still unsecured pressing another element against an intermediate portion of the opposite side of the set of strands so as to further bow the strands while moving the first-named element retrogradely a short distance insuflicient to allow the strands to resume their initial parallel condition, and then with said remote end remaining unsecured and with the strands subjected only to the end and intermediate pressures heating the strands to relieve the stresses therein and quickly thereafter chilling the strands so as to permanently set them in spread and bowed condition.

3. A method of shaping a dolls eyelash comprising a set of straight approximately parallel slender elongated pliable strands of a thermoplastic synthetic resin eX- tending away from an eyeball and having one end secured therein, said method comprising leaving the end of the set of strands remote from the eyeball unsecured while pressing an element against the remote end portion of a side of the set of strands so as to spread and bow the strands, then with said remote end still unsecured pressing another element against an intermediate portion of the opposite side of the set of strands so as to further how the strands, and then by heating the second-named element with said remote end remaining unsecured and with the strands subjected only to the end and intermediate pressures heating the strands to relieve the stresses therein and quickly thereafter chilling the second-named element and thereby the strands so as to permanently set them in spread and bowed condition.

4. An apparatus for shaping the lash of a dolls eye which lash comprises a set of straight approximately parallel slender elongated pliable strands of a thermoplastic synthetic resin extending away from an eyeball and having one end secured therein, said apparatus comprising means for supporting said eyeball, a first jaw, a second jaw, means mounting said jaws to face opposite sides of the lash and to move in straight lines parallel to one another toward and away from opposite sides of the lash, said first jaw being mounted in line with the tips of the lash strands and the second jaw being mounted in line with intermediate portions of the lash strands, means to move the first jaw into engagement with the tips of the lash strands while said tips are unsecured so as to flare and bow the lash strands, means to move the second jaw into engagement with intermediate portions of the lash strands while said tips remain unsecured so as to further bow the lash strands, means to heat the lash strands to relieve the stresses therein while the tips still are unsecured and while the strands are engaged by both jaws, and means quickly thereafter to cool the lash strands so as to set said strands in their flared and bowed condition.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means moving the first jaw into engagement with the tips of the lash strands so as to flare and bow the same is operative before the means to move the second jaw into engagement with intermediate portions of the lash strands so as to further bow the same.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the two jaws include abutment means to prevent the confronting surfaces thereof from contacting one another, so that after the lash strands are flared and curled said strands are not compressed between the jaws.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the means moving the first jaw into engagement with the tips of the lash strands so as to flare and bow the same is operative before the means to move the second jaw into engagement with intermediate portions of the lash strands so as to further bow the same, and wherein the first jaw is backed off slightly after flaring and bowing the lash strands and as the second jaw engages intermediate portions of the lash strands, the backing-off movement being insuflicient to allow the lash strands to resume their initial straight condition.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein the first jaw is thermally nonconductive and the second jaw is thermally conductive, and wherein the heating and cooling means operates upon the second jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,627,701 Rose Feb. 10, 1953 2,711,055 Majkrazak et al. June 21, 1955 2,820,325 Prupis Jan. 21, 1958 3,004,288 Gardner Oct. 17, 1961 3,072,963 Wilhelm et a1. Jan. 15, 1963 

1. A METHOD OF SHAPING A DOLL''S EYELASH COMPRISING A SET OF STRAIGHT APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL SLENDER ELONGATED PLIABLE STRANDS OF A THERMOPLASTIC SYMTHETIC RESIN EXTENDING AWAY FROM AN EYEBALL AND HAVING ONE END SECURED THEREIN, SAID METHOD COMPRISING LEAVING THE END OF THE SET OF STRANDS REMOTE FROM THE EYEBALL UNSECURED WHILE PRESSING AN ELEMENT AGAINST THE REMOTE END PORTION OF A SIDE OF THE SET OF STRANDS SO AS TO SPREAD AND BOW THE STRANDS, THEN WITH SAID REMOTE END STILL UNSECURED PRESSING ANOTHER ELEMENT AGAINST AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SET OF STRANDS SO AS TO FURTHER BOW THE STRANDS, AND THEN WITH SAID REMOTE END REMAINING UNSECURED AND WITH THE STRANDS SUBJECTED ONLY TO THE END AND INTERMEDIATE PRESSURES HEATING THE STRANDS TO RELIEVE THE STRESSES THEREIN AND QUICKLY THEREAFTER CHILLING THE STRANDS SO AS TO PERMANENTLY SET THEM IN SPREAD AND BOWED CONDITION.
 4. AN APPARATUS FOR SHAPING THE LASH OF A DOLL''S EYE WHICH LASH COMPRISES A SET OF STRAIGHT APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL SLENDER ELONGATED PLIABLE STRANDS OF A THERMOPLASTIC SYNTHETIC RESIN EXTENDING AWAY FROM AN EYEBALL AND HAVING ONE END SECURED THEREIN, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID EYEBALL, A FIRST JAW, A SECOND JAW, MEANS MOUNTING SAID JAWS TO FACE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LASH AND TO MOVE IN STRAIGHT LINES PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER TOWARD AND AWAY FROM OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LASH, SAID FIRST JAW BEING MOUNTED IN LINE WITH THE TIPS OF THE LASH STRANDS AND THE SECOND JAW BEING MOUNTED IN LINE WITH INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF THE LASH STRANDS, MEANS TO MOVE THE FIRST JAW INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE TIPS OF THE LASH STRANDS WHILE SAID TIPS ARE UNSECURED SO AS TO FLARE AND BOW THE LASH STRANDS, MEANS TO MOVE THE SECOND JAW INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF THE LASH STRANDS WHILE SAID TIPS REMAIN UNSECURED SO AS TO FURTHER BOW THE LASH STRANDS, MEANS TO HEAT THE LASH STRANDS TO RELIEVE THE STRESSES THEREIN WHILE THE TIPS STILL ARE UNSECURED AND WHILE THE STRANDS ARE ENGAGED BY BOTH JAWS, AND MEANS QUICKLY THEREAFTER TO COOL THE LASH STRANDS SO AS TO SET SAID STRANDS IN THEIR FLARED AND BOWED CONDITION. 